The air was saturated with mana.A mana chamber housed the raider who had just finished absorbing a core.
"And with this, only a hundred remain," Seran said.
He rose from the floor. Satisfaction quietly circulated within him.
He invoked his mana, expanding it around himself.
Closing his eyes, focusing only on the flow of energy, he reached five meters—but kept pushing further.
His cells, increasingly saturated, turned mana into fuel. The threshold that once seemed insurmountable finally broke.
Then, by half a meter more.
"Again…"
He gritted his teeth. The concentration required was intense. A deeper breath.
Minutes passed, feeling like hours.
Then he reached his new limit.
"Seven meters."
A smile appeared on his face.
"This is only at 35% saturation… the cores from Red helped me."
The victims of Red had, even in death, managed to help someone. In his heart, Seran knew those cores were born from the cruel malice of a madman.
"I've avenged you…"
It had been a couple of days since he last saw his friends. He had spent that time training—absorbing cores and using his mana.
He had not yet returned to an expedition.
He spent the next three hours finishing his training.
After a shower and a change of clothes, he decided to return to his apartment.
He ordered three portions of ramen for delivery, then opened his laptop and went to the website of one of the city's largest suppliers of Tower equipment.
"Ferrum: where foundations become towers."
After losing its contract with the city government, the company had lowered its prices to attract both new and returning customers.
Scrolling through the catalog, he found a list of mana rings.
Refined designs filled the screen, their prices reduced by around 20%.
"This one… no. Too small capacity. Don't like the color," he said, continuing to search.
Until a black ring appeared before his eyes—simple, yet elegant in composition.
[MANA RING MODEL: NOCTURNO]
Above-average capacity: 50 cubic meters.Improved material insulation, preventing any degradation.All for 180,000 Flux.
"This!!!"
A few clicks later, the purchase was complete. Delivery would arrive the next morning.
He spent the rest of the evening in the comfort of his apartment.
The next morning, exactly at 9 a.m., the courier arrived. The package was collected, a few brief words exchanged.
Like a child opening Christmas presents, he unwrapped it.
The new ring was placed on the index finger of his left hand.
"With this, my storage problems are solved."
Of course, he didn't discard the old ring—it would serve as extra capacity. One on his right hand, one on his left.
Meanwhile, the television was on, and the host Miles Gremson was broadcasting on TG-Vitae:
"In recent weeks, criminal activity has increased. Most cases involve individuals bearing tattoos of a black serpent. Citizens of Nova Vitae are advised to avoid them and report any sightings to the Armed Forces or the Presidium…"
The news immediately caught Seran's attention.
"Black Serpent… we have unfinished business."
He knew he wasn't ready yet—strong or skilled enough to descend like a storm upon their base.Igor would have to wait.
So he decided to hunt, to gather more cores.
A few hours later, he returned from his solo raid.
Still covered in blood and dirt, he headed toward the Presidium.
As he entered, he remembered how last time he had unintentionally avoided Mirror. This time, he waited in line.
Fifteen minutes passed—and there she was.
He approached the counter, avoiding eye contact out of slight embarrassment.
"Raider Lag… good morning. Back to me again today?" the girl said with a small laugh at the sight of him.
"People always return where they feel good, don't they?" he replied, finally meeting her eyes.
He handed over the day's earnings stored in his ring.
"Model Nocturno… really beautiful," she said, taking it from his hands.
As part of the procedure, everything was processed smoothly.
At the end:
"We've added a small bonus inside your ring. Open it only when you're alone," she said, returning it to him.
Seran looked slightly confused.
"Alright."
Their fingers brushed lightly.
As he left the counter, he wondered why he had received a bonus—but decided it was better not to question it.
On his way out, he noticed a display board on the walls:
[BLACK SERPENT BOUNTY NOTICE]15,000 Flux per captured or killed member.5,000 Flux for useful information regarding their capture.
His steps stopped as he read it.
"I can start from here."
He returned home quickly and immediately opened his laptop.
He typed: Black Serpent.
A series of articles and reports appeared before him.
"Shooting in the Josten district between gangs…""Drug trafficking operation stopped in the city outskirts…"
And many more, until he found a less-known article linking Regis's tragedy to a break-in at the laboratories of SunEnergy Industries that occurred on the same day.
Most comments dismissed it as coincidence or conspiracy theory.
But Seran's instincts told him otherwise.
Scrolling further down, he found the journalist who wrote the article:
Chris Voxter
He wrote the name down.
He would definitely speak with him—but first, he had to find him.
Closing his investigation, he thought:
"They mostly operate in the poorer districts of the city. I'll start there."
Finally, in the quiet of his apartment, he decided to check the bonus from the Presidium.
Inside his ring—beyond equipment, cores, and materials—something unexpected had appeared.
With a single thought, he brought it forth.
A small piece of paper appeared in his left hand.
On it, only a number.
44xxxxx232
And a single letter.
S.
"…I have to admit, I never expected this from you, Selen."